The Fountain

Majora’s Mask is my favorite video game. Because I watched my mother play it when I was younger, there are times that I don’t recall specific dialogue or history of The Legend of Zelda series. On this recent play through, upon entering Flat’s Shrine located under Ikana Graveyard I discovered something that stopped me short and caused me to pause the game.

“You remembered the Song of Storms.”

Remembered? Meaning that this song was the same song that existed in Ocarina of Time, just like the Song of Time? We learned the Song of Storms through Guru-Guru, but I remember the strange sequence of events that caused Guru-Guru to learn this song. It’s not until we are an adult that we learn this song from him, but how is it that we taught it to him as a child then?

“What?! You’ve got an ocarina!! What the heck! That reminds me of that time, seven years ago! Back then a mean kid came here and played a strange song. It messed up this windmill! I’ll never forget this song!”

I had to make sense of this. I spoke out loud more to myself as I played and that’s when the dots started to connect.

Majoras Mask and Ocarina of Time never made sense linearly with one another because of the overlapping characters they contained. Many say that Termina is merely an alternate universe; others believe that Link has died and gone to Limbo… But upon further consideration I’ve come up with a new theory.

Does Majora’s Mask take place when our Hero of Time is dormant in the Temple of Time?

Here is my way of thinking:

Navi

Before you say, “what about Navi?” you need to consider the fact that Link was never meant to have a fairy. Though the ending of Ocarina of Time and beginning of Majora’s Mask suggest that she left and he went off to find her, one can also assume that what Link was attempting to find in Majora’s Mask was not Navi at all, but his true fairy, or the strength inside himself he knew he’d need once awoken.

The Saddle

When the game begins, we find Link on Epona riding through a familiar yet strange forest. The forest is full of spirals and glitter like that of Kokiri Forest and yet there are no children of the Kokiri around. He arrives riding Epona with no saddle. Never once in Ocarina of Time did he ride her without one, so how did this work? It’s because he is dreaming of riding her as a foal. He has no recollection of her wearing a saddle because that time hasn’t existed yet. They have not come of age.

Items

The only items he is left with in his inventory are his Ocarina of Time, his sword, and his shield. The Ocarina made it into his dream sequence because it was the most important item to him and his quest throughout Hyrule. His sword and shield are basic components as a swordsman. His sword in Majora’s Mask is not the Master Sword because he is unable to wield it; he is too young and has not had any important experience with it yet. Instead it is his original Kokiri sword, which he’s had since the beginning of his journey. The shield appears to be a distorted version of the Hylian shield: designs are harder to make out when in a dream sequence. He is able to carry it like a true shield in his dream because there is no sense of weight in dreams.

There are items from Majora’s Mask that correlate with future ones in Ocarina of Time: the Lense of Truth, Mirror Shield, Hook Shot, Fire, Ice and Light Arrows. Through Majora’s Mask, Link is tested and has to learn how to use these items to be successful against Ganondorf in the future. He will use them again to his advantage. Every item Link receives in Majora’s Mask seems more powerful in Ocarina of Time’s adult sequence. He is able to wield these items because he has learned how to use them throughout his time in Termina.

Time

We follow Link through Majora’s Mask. He’s aging though time goes on in Three Day Sequences. When Link comes out of his comatose state, he is an adult, a master swordsman, and wise beyond his years. He grew through the adventure of Majora’s Mask, learning to become an adult through this time.

When sleeping, time seems to go a lot faster than it appears. Every time he fails the three-day sequence, he does not wake up. It’s not until he completes his journey that he is allowed to awaken. Seven years have passed and he has become a man.

Overlapping Characters

What’s with the repeating characters? Well, as many dream studies suggest, one cannot make up a face when dreaming. Each person they meet is stored into their memory and can be later played in their dream. New names can be assigned, but the face will always be the same.

How does Guru-Guru fit in all of this?

The text declaring that Link “remembered” the Song of Storms indicates that this song is of the same universe as Ocarina of Time. Link learns it through the teachings of Flat. When he wakes up in OoT, he meets Guru-Guru in the windmill and Guru is already playing the song. He is playing this faster than normal because you have already disrupted the natural flow of the windmill years prior.

Adult Link “learns” the song from Guru here. When Link returns to the past, he teaches Guru the song that allows Guru to play it in the future. This is what affects the Termina story line; you “remember” the song. Through speaking to Flat you have unlocked the ability to teach it to Guru-Guru.

Majora’s Mask is a dream Link is living through as he waits in the Sacred Realm for Seven Years and Guru-Guru is just a victim through it all.

Maybe he ”remembered” the Song of Storms the same way he is able to play songs he learned in the adult time in the child time. Link would remember the things he would have done since it is not really him that has done that. We can see an evidence at the end of Ocarina of Time: he go on a new adventure that he was never supposed to do since he would be sleeping if he was the same as his adult form… I think that Ocarina of Time Link’s spirit is simply put into the mind of an other Link which is adult in the future. Your theory is cool, but there is always an other way to explain things.